Apparatus for continuous spinning of fibers



July 29, 1969 J. sT6REK ETAL APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS SPINNING 0F FIBERS Filed July 10, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Imam lzez m1 Wyn/14ml J2 flap/m (up/Au mes/4y INVENTOR aw/Um! ATTORNEY July 29, 1969 J. STREK ETAL 3,457,716

Filed July 10, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll 44 y STD/25k gum man? NNNNNN on 5 ATTORNEY July 29, 1969 Y J. sT6REK ETAL 3,457,716

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS SPINNING OF FIBERS Filed July 10, 1968 v 3 Sheets-Sheet :3

Jimu S mu. Mi megs: mm

74M IIIIIUA I amt/w many IINVENTORS ATTORNEY United States Patent f 3,457,716 APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS SPINNING 0F FIBERS .laroslav Stdrelr, Jiri Wiederrnanu, and Jan Hrdina, Usti nad Oriici, and Radovan Volesky, Lhotka, Czechoslovakia, assignors to Vyzkumny Ustav Bavlnarsky, Usti nad Orlici, Czechoslovakia Filed July 10, 1968, Ser. No. 743,658 Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia, July 14, 1967, 5,140/67 Int. Cl. D0111 7/00 US. Cl. 5758.89 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for continuous spinning of fibers comprises a spinning chamber which is rotatable about its axis. The spinning chamber has an open side and is pro vided in its interior with an annular collecting surface and with an annular slip surface extending between the open side and the collecting surface. A stationary cover member is mounted adjacent the open side closing the same. It has a stepped inner face located Within the confines of the collecting surface extending normal to the axis of the chamber and including an annular first face portion and a second face portion surrounded by the first face portion. The face portions are respetcively located closer to and farther inwardly spaced from the open side, A first channel is provided in the cover member and is open at the second face portion so that yarn spun in the chamber may be withdrawn through the first channel. A second channel is provided in the cover member and opens at the first face portion at such an inclination that fibers discharged from the second channel will impinge upon the slip surface forwardly of the transverse plane in which the annular collecting surface is located.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to spinning apparatus in general, and more particularly to apparatus for the continuous spinning of fibers. Still more specifically the pres ent invention relates to an apparatus for the continuous spinning of fibers by means of a rotating underpressure spinning chamber.

The use of rotary spinning chambers for spinning yarn from fibers is already known Such spinning chambers are of substantially cup-shaped configuration and have an open side. The interior of the spinning chamber is provided with an annular slip surface which converges in the direction inwardly away from the open side and terminates in an annular collecting surface. Fibers are discharged onto the slip surface of the spinning chamber which rotates at relatively high speed, and under the influence of centrifugal force these fibers move inwardly until they reach the collecting surface on which they are collected in form of a web and from which they can then be withdrawn in this form as a yarn.

Generally speaking, rotating spinning chambers have been found to be highly satisfactory. They do, however, suffer from a disadvantage for which no remedy has been found until now. Heretofore it has been impossible to so keep the incoming fibers, that is the ones which are being discharged onto the slip surface, separated from the yarn forming on the annular collecting surface that they do not become lapped up onto the collecting surface. When this occursas it does, particularly during spinning of fibers of relatively long staplethe resulting yarn is of inferior quality. Inasmuch as this is not tolerable, a spinning chamber producing yarn of this type must be shut down and attempts must be made to correct the condition by removice ing the inferior yarn produced and by restarting the operation.

Attempts at correcting this problem have not been successful, for various reasons. Thus, in one attempted embodiment intended to correct the problem the incoming fibers were forced to follow different curved paths resulting in undesirable frictional engagement and, consequently, in the production of a yarn of inferior quality.

It is thus a general object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages existing in this field.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for continuous spinning of fibers by means of a rotating spinning chamber, wherein the incoming fibers are maintained entirely separate from the yarn which continuously forms on the annular collecting surface of the rotary spinning chamber.

Summary of the invention In pursuance of these objects, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of our invention resides in the provision of apparatus for the continuous spinning of fibers utilizing a spinning chamber rotatable about its axis and having an open side. The spinning chamber is provided in its interior with an annular collecting surface on which fibers fed into the chamber are adapted to centrifugally collect for withdrawal in form of a yarn. The spinning chamber is further provided in its interior with an annular slip surface extending between the open side and the collecting surface, and both of these surfaces are coaxial with the axis of the chamber with the collecting surface being located in a plane normal to the axis of the chamber.

A stationary cover member is mounted adjacent the open side of the chamber extending across and closing the same. This cover member has a stepped inner face located within the confines of the collecting surface and extending normal to the axis of the chamber. The inner face includes an annular first face portion and a second face portion which is surrounded by the first face portion. The first face portion is located closer to and the second face portion is farther inwardly spaced from the open side of the chamber. First channel means is provided in the cover member and is open at the second face portion so that spun yarn may be withdrawn through this first channel means from the interior of the chamber. Second channel means is provided in the cover member and open at the first face portion thereof, this second channel means is so inclined to the axis of the chamber that fibers which are discharged from the second channel means will impinge upon the slip surface forwardly of the plane of the annular collecting surface intermediate the same and the open side. Feed means is provided for feeding a stream of fibers into the second channel means and withdrawing means is provided for withdrawing spun yarn from the interior of the chamber through the first channel means.

In an advantageous embodiment of our invention the aforementioned second face portion is provided on a substantially cylindrical projection projecting inwardly of the first face portion coaxially with the axis of rotation of the spinning chamber. It is advantageous if the angle included between the first face portion and the second channel means, that is the angle at which the stream of incoming fibers is being discharged from the second channel means, is an acute angle and so directed that, when the first face portion is projected in the imagination to the plane of the second face portion of the cylindrical projection, the discharge of fibers from the second channel means will occur within an imaginary cylindrical surface extending between the first and second face portions, that is forwardly or outwardly of the plane of the second face portion. It is advantageous in accordance with one em- Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a fragmentary section of an apparatus embodying our invention, as taken on the line IIII of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cover member of the embodiment in FIG. 1, as taken on the line II in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the interior of the spinning chamber shown in FIG. 1.

Description of the preferred embodiments Discussing now the drawing in detail, it will be seen that a rotary spinning chamber 1 of generally known construction is mounted by means of a conventional bearing 2 in a support 3 of a spinning machine. The support 3 may be considered a housing for the spinning chamber 1 and is not illustrated in further detail because its construction is not essential for an understanding of the invention. The spinning chamber 1 is rotated in the direction indicated by the circular arrow via a belt drive of which the belt pulley 4 is diagrammatically illustrated. This, also, is merely by way of information and the particular type of drive is of no importance for the purposes of the present invention.

The spinning chamber 1 is generally cup-shaped in known manner, and has the conventional open side. It is provided with a peripheral annular wall 5 whose free circumferential edge portion 5a bounds this open side. It will be seen that the support 3 forms a recess in which the spinning chamber 1 is mounted for rotation.

Overlying this recess, and also the open side of the spinning chamber 1, is a cover member 6 whose inner side 7 faces the interior of the recess as illustrated in FIG. 1. The inner side is provided with an annular groove 8 into which the circumferential edge portion 5a of the spinning chamber 1 extends so as to form with the groove 8 a labyrinthine seal. It is to be noted, however, that the cover 6 is stationary, being for instance secured in nonillustrated manner to the support 3, and that there is no physical contact between the cover 6 and the wall 5 of the spinning chamber 1.

A first inner face portion 7a of the cover 6 projects slightly into the interior of the chamber 1, being located within the confines of the Wall 5 whose inner peripheral surface 5b constitutes a slip surface. A second face portion of the cover 6 is provided on a substantially cylindrical projection or extension 12 which extends inwardly of the face portion 7a, so that the second face portion 14 is located farther inwardly of the open side of the chamber 1 than the first face portion 7a.

The cover '6 is provided with two channels, namely a channel 13 which is open at the face portion 14 and extends outwardly through the cover 6, so that yarn 17 can be withdrawn from the interior of the chamber 1. A second channel 9 also extends through the cover 6 from the outer side to the inner side 7 thereof, and the outer end of the channel 9 communicates with a fiber separating and feeding device 11 which receives fibrous material, for instance in form of a sliver 10, separates this into the individual fibers and feeds a stream of these fibers into and through the channel "9. It is to be understood that the construction and operation of the fiber separating and feeding device 11 is conventional and constitutes no part .4 of the present invention. The projection 12 is fixed, as will be seen from the drawing, with the cover 6, with which it may be either of one-piece construction or to which it may be fixedly secured, and it is coaxial with the axis of rotation of the spinning chamber 1.

Fibers discharged from the inner open end of the channel 9 become deposited on the slip surface 5b from which they move under the influence of centrifugal force onto the annular collecting surface 16 which is located in a plane extending substantially normal to the axis of rotation of the spinning chamber 1. On this collecting surface 16 the fibers become twisted in known manner into a web and then into a yarn 17 which is Withdrawn through the channel 13 via the withdrawing rollers 18, to be subsequently wound onto a package 20 under the action of a traversing roller 19.

In accordance with the invention the channel 9 is so inclined with reference to the general plane of the face portion 7a, and accordingly to the axis of rotation of the spinning chamber 1, that fibers discharged from the channel 9 will impinge upon the slip surface 5b forwardly of the transversal plane in which the annular collecting surface 16 is located. More specifically, the impingement of these fibers onto the slip surface 5b will take place forwardly of the general transversal plane of the face portion 14; it is to be understood, however, that in accordance with one embodiment of our invention this transversal plane of the face portion 14 may be coincident with the transversal plane of the annular collecting surface 16. Under no circumstances, however, must the discharged fibers impinge upon the slip surface 5b in the transversal plane of the annular collecting surface 16, or rearwardly thereof.

The angle included between the discharge end of the channel 9 and the general plane of the face portion 7a is an acute angle and the spacing between the tWo face portions 7a and 14 must always be such that the discharge of fibers occurs within an imaginary lateral cylindrical surface 15indicated in dashed lines at the lefthand side of FIG. lwhich one would obtain if the face portion 711 were to be advanced inwardly so as to be coplanar with the general plane of the face portion 14, as also indicated in dashed lines at the left-hand side of FIG. 1. This is actually only another way of repeating that the discharge of the fibers must occur forwardly of the general plane of the face portion 14, that is forwardly as seen in the direction towards the open side of the spinning chamber 1.

With this construction according to our invention we obtain an effective separation of the incoming fibers from the yarn being spun on the collecting surface 16, because the fibers are now discharged onto the slip surface 5]) far enough forwardly of the collecting surface 16 that they cannot reach the collecting surface 16 prematurely so that lapping-up of the incoming fibers onto the yarn under formation on the annular collecting surface 16 is avoided.

The operation of the novel device, of which latter the illustrations in FIGS. 2 and 3 will be self-explanatory as constituting only details of FIG. 1, will be already obvious from what has been set forth above. The separated fibers are fed by the device 11 into the channel 9 from which they are discharged into the interior of the chamber 1. This is facilitated because an underpressure is generated in the spinning chamber 1 as the same rotates, because of the provision of air-discharge openings 21 provided in the body of the chamber 1 and communicating both with the interior of the chamber and with the ambient atmosphere. The fibers impinge upon the slip surface 5b in the manner already discussed, and at the location mentioned, and slide over this surface 5b until they reach the annular collecting surface 16 where they are deposited in form of a ribbon-like web. On introducing a yarn end inwardly through the cover 6, thatis through the channel 13 provided therein, such yarn end will be drawn in by the underpressure existing in the in terior of the chamber 1 and will be drawn into engagement with the collecting surface 16. Upon such engagement the yarn end will adhere to the ribbon-like fibrous web and when the yarn end is now withdrawn, the ribbonlike fibrous web undergoes twisting into the yarn 17 due to the rotation of the chamber 1 and the withdrawal of the initially introduced yarn end. The thus formed yarn 17 is now continuously withdrawn through the channel 13 (compare also FIGS. 2 and particularly 3) and is wound onto a yarn package in conventional manner.

It will be seen that by resorting to our invention the incoming fibers are supplied and guided in such a manner that they are discharged in a concentrated stream onto the slip surface 5b at a location where they cannot interfere with the ribbon which is forming on the collecting surface 16. This is an optimum depositing procedure for these fibers, and accordingly the resulting yarn 17 is of very high quality and the problems set forth above in the introductory comments with respect to the prior art do not exist in the construction according to our invention.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for continuous spinning of fibers, comprising a spinning chamber rotatable about its axis, said spinning chamber having an open side and being provided in its interior with an annular collecting surface on which fibers fed into said chamber are adapted to centrifugally collect for withdrawal in form of a yarn, and an annular slip surface extending between said open side and said collecting surface, both of said surfaces being coaxial with said aXiS of said chamber and said collecting surface being located in a plane normal to the axis of said chamber; a stationary cover member mounted adjacent said open side extending across and closing the same, said cover member having a stepped inner face located within the confines of said collecting surface extending normal to said axis and including an annular first face portion and a second face portion surrounded by said first face portion, said face portions being respectively located closer to and further inwardly spaced from said open side; first channel means provided in said cover member and open at said second face portion so that spun yarn may be withdrawn through said first channel means from the interior of said chamber; second channel means provided in said cover member open at said first face portion and so inclined to said axis that fibers discharged from said second channel means will impinge upon said slip surface forwardly of said plane intermediate the same and said open side; feed means for feeding a stream of fibers into said second channel means; and withdrawing means for withdrawing spun yarn from the interior of said chamber through said first channel means.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, said first channel means being coaxial with said axis of said chamber.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, said second channel means comprising a feed channel having an outlet provided in said first face portion and arranged so as to discharge fibers therefrom at an acuate angle relative to the general plane of said first face portion.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, said cover member having an inner side provided with said inner face, and an outer side; and said feed channel extending through said cover member from said outer side to said inner side and being inclined in its entirety at said acute angle relative to said first face portion.

'5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said second face portion has a general plane coincident with said plane of said annular collecting surface.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 3; and further comprising means for creating an underpressure in said spinning chamber in response to rotation of the same about said axis.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, said spinning chamber comprising a peripheral wall and said means for creating an underpressure comprising aperture means provided in said peripheral wall and communicating with the interior of said chamber and with the ambient atmosphere.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, said cover member having an inner side provided with said inner face, and said inner side including a cylindrical portion projecting into the interior of said spinning chamber and having an exposed endface constituting said second face portion.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, said cylindrical portion being coaxial with the axis of rotation of said spinning chamber.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1; and further comprising housing means defining a recess in which said spinning chamber is mounted for rotation, said recess having an opening and said open side of said spinning chamber facing said opening; and wherein said cover member extends also across said opening closing the same.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner 

